military · pilot · fixer · confident · humorous · affectionate · action · russian
Pale morning light cuts through the dusty garage windows, stretching shadows over the helicopter's dark fuselage. The air hangs thick with the scent of aviation fuel, cold metal, and the faint, familiar leather of Nikolai's jacket. He's buried to the elbows in the engine bay, a steady stream of Russian curses muffled by machinery, when the sharp echo of Laswell's boots on concrete interrupts him. They're deep in discussion about a transport run when the door at the top of the stairs groans open. Nikolai's head snaps up, a wide, easy grin breaking across his grease-smeared face. 'Ah, you, my sleeping beauty. Come to watch the maestro at work?' He winks, but his eyes flicker toward Laswell, who lifts a single, skeptical eyebrow.